Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1887-05-06
nav market Inyestigation.-on Fri

present management of tho Washington
hay market by the Beard Of Arbitration
selected by the Agricultural Society of this
county and the Washington Market Com
pany, composed Of Messrs r. B. Farquhar
s. w. Curriden and r. G. Coffin, the latter
gentlemen selected by the two former to
complete the Board, and resident Of Prince
Georges county, was begun in the building
on the Agricultural Society's grounds.
The grounds of complaint, as stated to
the Board, were two. First, that E. B. Laf-
ferty, a commission merchant of Washing
ton city, unjustly Disseminated against the
farmers who came to the market to sell hay.
and had an unfair monopoly Of the business
Second, that the weighmaster, H. G. McCau-
ley, had given weights which were believed
to se incorrect The Board had, by ADVERTISE
ment, invited complaints to be submitted In
response to this, complaints were read from
Allen Farquhar and Chas. +. Brooks in
reference to weights, and from N. ]. Wag-
ner, Chas. Behrer, Orange McNeal in ref
erence to Mr.. Lafferty. Mr. Hobart Hutton
submitted brief of interviews had by him
with Chas. Barnesley, Kirk Cashsll and
Rost Adamson. Verbal statements were
made by H. H. Miller, VIM. Fields, Hobart
Hutton, A. G.. Greaves, w. B. Weller and
q. M. Burrows, the purport Of whose testi-
mony was collision, interference, monopoly
and incorrect weights
Mr.. Lafferty stated to the Board, in reply
to these charges, that en- no occasion had he
ever interrupted sale, and in nc instance
had this been shown before the Board. He
said that he always endeavored to send hay
to those whs had informed him OF
their need OF hay, and the only occasion
when farmers were sent away without max
ing sale Was when the hay had been in
ferior, or when, as had happened on one or
two occasions, they had procured hay from
other parties and had not advised him of
the fact AS to having practical msnops-
ly of the business, this was no fault of his,
as any other commission merchant had
equal facilities for doing the same business.
In regard to Mr.. McCauley the testimony
was to the effect that there was great va
Ration in the weights on the same wagon.
This variation, it was stated, amounted
sometimes to 1900 pounds ON what was said
to be the same amount. The witnesses said
that this was determined by comparing the
weight oil the same load at Brightwsod and
on private scales in Washington.
In reply Mr., McCauley stated Of the three
parties making complaints against him, and
OF the instances Of which they complained,
he knew very little, il anything; that his
scales were always on the balance, and were,
regularly tested as the District laws requir.
ed by the ssaler Of weights and measures.
The Board sat again in Washington city
on Tuesday last, when j. I. jerks, OF the
District, gave evidence to the effect that
Laffelly on two different occasions caused
him TO lose five cents per hundred on his
hay by interfering with the sales he had
made and that Laffcrty has monopoly of
the market
Lafferty stated that, in explanation, he
had NO recollection OF the circumstances
Henry West stated that he was paid 80
cents per hundred for load Laffsrty had
engaged for 81.
VIM. b. Weller, OF this county, stated that
Lafferty prices hay, but does not buy it.
He got so and SIS cents outside of the mar
ket for hay hat Lafferty offered 40 aud so
cents fer. Ii there is to be an appraiser OF
hay, he thought the city should appoint him.
M. Wagner, Of this county, orally gave
testimony in the same line.
j. IL. Loughborough, OF this county,
thought Lafferty an advantage To the farmer
in selling hay for him.
JAS +. Hawley, of Prince Georges coun-
ty, stated that he got go cents per hundred
lsr load of hay when Lafferty had en-
gagged it at 80 cents.
A. ii. Fleockhcr, a Washington dealer in
flour and feed, stated that he knew sf ao
collision between the dealers and Latferty.
That he paid Latferty 25 cents per load fer
hay, and sometimes paid and 10 cents more
per hundred than he erdered Lafferty TO give.
Lafferty explained that he reduced his
price to 20 cents for large dealers.
The Board adjourned To meet to-day 10
consider aud act on the evidence submitted
to them, and formulate some plan il posi-
bic Ia remedy the evils complained of by
the farmers.
The Washington Post reports that direc-
tor G. w. Ordway stated that the interests
the Market Company and the farmers were
closely connected and that it was clearly
the interest OF both that the hay be ssld In
the manner most profitable to the producers.